FIA Formula E Gen2 unveiled in Geneva

The all-new, all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship car was officially revealed today, 6 March, on the FIA stand at the Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed the ‘FIA Formula E Gen2’, the striking new car will compete over the coming three seasons of Formula E, starting with season five in late 2018.

The car was unveiled by FIA President Jean Todt, Formula E Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag and a ‘special guest’ robotic arm supplied by championship title partner ABB, with the press conference attended by representatives from the manufacturers who will homologate and produce the cars for competition in season five.

For the first time ever, the design concept was created by the FIA, which brought together the world’s leading designers and engineers to collaborate and create the FIA Formula E Gen2. The car has a clear and unique identity – being in neither the standard single-seater or prototype categories, it creates its own new space in the motor sport landscape.

Technical specifications have also now been confirmed, with this next generation machine demonstrating remarkable progress in both performance and efficiency since the first Formula E race just four years ago.

The biggest achievement has been to double the range of the car – meaning that there will no longer be the need for a mid-race car swap – whilst making it more powerful over a full race distance.

Maximum power output is now 250kW – an increase of 50kW that will likely see acceleration from 0-100kph drop from 3 seconds to just 2.8 seconds, and a potential top speed of 280kph.

The Gen2 car also features the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport all-weather tyre, which is specifically designed for the unique demands of electric street racing. Not only is the tyre lighter than its predecessors, but it also boasts significantly lower rolling resistance and a new graphic design.

Full technical details can be found below:

FIA President, Jean Todt, said: “The FIA Formula E Gen2 really looks like a car of the future. It is encouraging to see the progress made in just four years - to double the range of the car and increase the power output is the result of a great effort. With the support of so many manufacturers, Formula E will continue to push the development of electric vehicle technology, and promote sustainable mobility in many cities around the world.”

FIA Technical Director, Gilles Simon, said: It is fantastic to finally show people the FIA Formula E Gen2. It has been a hugely collaborative project, and I would like to thank everyone at the FIA, and all of our technical partners and official suppliers for their tireless work to make this car a reality. The result has been a car that everyone is talking about and that achieves all the technical goals we set. Formula E is a fascinating mission from a technical perspective – it gives us the opportunity to create something completely different to anything else in motor sport, and developing innovative technologies at the forefront of the electric revolution that is happening in the automotive industry is really exciting. To make something faster with double the efficiency was a great challenge, and I think it is going to be very spectacular when it takes to the track in season five.

Formula E Founder and CEO, Alejandro Agag, said: “This is the first time I’ve seen the complete car in the flesh and it’s even more sleek and spectacular up close. If you were to draw a racing car from scratch and base it purely on its looks, you’d come up with just this design. Not only is it striking on the eye, the performance and range show clear progress in terms of technological development in only four years. I’d like to express my personal thanks to the FIA and its President Jean Todt, for their hard work and support in putting together and designing our Gen2 car. This model visually differentiates Formula E from any other single-seater in motor sport today. When people see this car they will say it’s Formula E, it’s the future.”